Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

उन्मत्तोंऽधश्च बधिरो वेदनिन्दक एव च । हयगोऽश्वोष्ट्रदमको नक्षत्रैर्यश्च जीवति

Transliteration

unmattoṃ'dhaśca badhiro vedanindaka eva ca | hayago'śvoṣṭradamako nakṣatrairyaśca jīvati

Translation

ഉന്മത്തൻ, അന്ധൻ, ബധിരൻ, വേദനിന്ദകൻ; കുതിരവ്യാപാരി, കുതിര-ഒട്ടകങ്ങളെ പരിശീലിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ, നക്ഷത്രജ്യോതിഷം കൊണ്ട് ജീവിക്കുന്നവൻ—ഇവരും ദാനം സ്വീകരിക്കാൻ അയോഗ്യർ.

Word by Word

• unmattaḥ: mad, insane
• unmattaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: unmatta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival)

• andhaḥ: blind
• andhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• badhiraḥ: deaf
• badhiraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: badhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• vedanindakaḥ: reviler of the Veda
• vedanindakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + nindaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘वेदस्य निन्दकः’

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• hayagaḥ: horse-handler / one associated with horses
• hayagaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haya (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘हयान् गच्छति/हयेषु गः’ (one who goes with/among horses)

• aśvoṣṭradamakaḥ: tamer of horses and camels
• aśvoṣṭradamakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + uṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक) + damaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (aśva+uṣṭra) + तत्पुरुष: ‘अश्वोष्ट्रयोः दमकः’

• nakṣatraiḥ: by/through stars (astrology)
• nakṣatraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• jīvati: lives, makes a living
• jīvati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jīv (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Veda-reciter sits near the shrine; in contrast, a Veda-reviler gestures dismissively. Nearby are horse traders and trainers with animals; an astrologer consults nakṣatra charts—shown as cautioned recipients.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity should uphold śruti and dharma; supporting Veda-revilers or harmful/tainted livelihoods weakens religious merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, a tirtha where right conduct around worship and giving is emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guidance for dāna: avoid giving to those listed when choosing qualified recipients.